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HFH Nepal Aims For 100,000 Amid Marking 10,000th Family Served

HFH Nepal’s 10,000th home partner Rekha Devi Bahardar and her children are looking forward to living with hope and dignity in their new Habitat house.

KATHMANDU, 19th July 2011: Habitat for Humanity Nepal has come a long way since it began working in the South Asian country in 1997.

And now there are ambitious plans to grow tenfold and assist 100,000 families in five years’ time. HFH Nepal expects to formally unveil its campaign at an event in the capital Kathmandu at the end of this month.

Invited guests will include representatives from non-government organizations, government officials as well as HFH Nepal’s local partners and corporate supporters.

From its inception till 2005, Habitat completed 830 houses. In 2005, HFH Nepal made a strategic decision to develop a cost-effective and environmentally-friendly housing program, tapping its vast partnership network of non-government organizations, microfinance institutions and village lending and savings groups.

By mid-2010, HFH Nepal marked its 10,000th family served. The 10,000th house milestone was a joyous occasion for Rekha Devi Bahardar who lives in Anantapur, Morang district in eastern Nepal.

For 12 years, her family of five endured living in a tiny hut which they also shared with a cow which they reared. Their old house had either been damaged by fires or floods several times. Making repairs added to the family’s financial burden.

When their Habitat bamboo house was dedicated recently, Rekha said: “I am so blessed that when I see my new house, I have forgotten all my sadness and suffering.”

Rekha, who is from the scheduled caste (formerly known as “untouchables”), added that neighbors and relatives have dropped by to admire her very beautiful and clean house. “Once we were without hope and dignity. Now life is going to get better.”